Merchandising practices currently followed make extensive use of so-called point of purchase displays and the like, in which merchandise is prominently and conveniently displaced before the potential customer. Ideally, the attractive display and immediate availability of the merchandise facilitate and increase the sales thereof.
For the construction of point of purchase displays, perforated panel board (sometimes called peg board) is used to a great extent. Conventionally, such panel board material is thin, flat, relatively rigid, and provided with a large number of apertures arranged in horizontal and vertical rows. A wide variety of panel board hooks and other display fixtures are available, which may be readily inserted into the opening of the apertured panel board, in any configuration convenient to the merchandiser.
The general configuration and general advantages of apertured panel board are well known. The present invention, however, seeks to improve significantly on the conventional apertured panel board construction, by providing a novel and improved form of such panel board, which is of greatly improved utility with respect to set-up and knock-down capability, in particular. The new perforated panel construction is ideally suited to the quick and simple construction of short term point of purchase displays, such as aisle displays in supermarkets and the like.
In accordance with one of the specific aspects of the invention, a molded plastic perforated panel board structure is provided, which includes an advantageous form of snap-together side hinge connection, by means of which adjacent rectangular panel elements may be joined, in a coplanar relationship, an abutting relationship or at an angle. The new hinge construction enables a series of panels to be joined to form a single large, flat panel display, or displays of a variety of geometric configurations, as the circumstances require. The connecting hinge arrangement of the new panel provides for any angular orientation of a pair of adjacent panels between coplanar (0.degree.) and back-to-back (180.degree.). This advantageous structure is provided without the need for separate fastenings or connectors, such that assembly of the panels is greatly simplified, and the inventory of required parts is kept at a minimum.
In conjunction with the above, the invention is directed in part to the provision of an advantageous form of snap-together end plate structure designed for assembly with the new panel board unit, to provide rigid, sturdy point of purchase display assemblies. The end plate elements of the invention are of molded plastic construction, and can be molded in a variety of geometric configurations (such as triangular, rectangular, etc.) of a size and shape to be received on and secured to the end edges of a plurality of connected perforated panels. A unique and advantageous snap-together connection is provided between the end edge portions of the perforated panels and the end plates, enabling the plates to be quickly and securely applied to a series of assembled display panels.
The various modular structural elements of the invention readily accommodate the assembly of display structures of a wide variety of shapes and forms, including flat display boards, back-to-back displays, polygonal displays of various forms, vertically stacked displays and the like. All of this may be accomplished with a relative minimum inventory of parts, and with component parts which are at the same time relatively inexpensive, durable, easily handled, and of pleasing appearance. The structure of the invention provides a display assembly which, in the disassembled condition can be packed away in a minimum of space, easily shipped and handled, and eventually set-up without the use of tools or extraneous fastening devices such as nuts and bolts, or the like.
Moreover, because all of the parts may be of a plastic construction, they are impervious to cleaning solutions or water, and will not oxidize or otherwise degredate in the environment in which they are used. This is particularly important because display structures must be cleaned fairly often so as not to make an unsightly background for the items being displayed, and in many cases they will be used outside. In this connection, further, parts of the structures herein may be of the desired display color, and the color surfaces will not deteriorate as the result of exposure to the environment, or be scratched or otherwise marred as would be the case with painted surfaces. Of course, the invention may take a variety of specific forms and dimensions and may be made of a wide variety of materials, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.